Pizaria

Drendel (human), Nyx (gnome), and Velenae (half-elf) find themselves in a small town on the East side of the Rylle Mountains in the early evening. While enjoying the local ale at a tavern, Velenae notices a rather harried goliath sneak his way out of the building. Knowing the rarity of goliaths in Eona, Velenae follows the goliath. Before she reaches the door, three large and mean looking humans make their way outside. Meanwhile, the small and inebriated Nyx follows stands (precariously) to follow her new companion. Drendel grudgingly leaves his ale as well.

Velenae exits the tavern and hears a sound coming from the alleyway next to the tavern. She rounds the corner in time to see the goliath stabbed through the torso by one of the humans, who then quickly depart from the other end of the alley. Nyx and Drendel arrive in time to follow Velenae down the alley to the side of the dying goliath. The goliath hands Velenae a pendent on a short loop of leather. It is fired black clay with a blood red symbol. Velenae can’t ignore the fresh goliath’s blood coating the item. She also recognizes the uneven brown color of dried blood underneath. The goliath says, “find Farin. It’s happening again” before dying.

The threesome immediately recognize the name Farin. Drendel knows only the history behind the name: Farin was a half-elf who was very influential in the war between the tieflings and the rest of Eona 150 years ago. Velenae knows the history, as well as a few legends that suggest Farin may have married and procreated, or perhaps saved a princess in a far-off land and became king. Nyx, as a bard, knows all the tales of the old half-elf. He may have died at the end of the war, taking a particularly mean teifling leader with him. Perhaps he went traveling and never came back. Maybe his travels involved war, more heroism, and a return to Eona. Some even say he was lost at sea. Nyx loots the goliath for gold while Drendel stands by, mute and stoic.

Meanwhile, Vharia, a half-elf, sits in the back of the tavern the party had just left. He hears a thump against the outside wall near his head and decides it’s time to go find something more interesting than ale to occupy his time. He leaves the tavern to investigate the noise and finds the party in the side alley. Unnoticed by the threesome, Vharia sees the bloody pendent and the dead goliath before climbing the to top of a nearby shop to watch the proceedings.

Nyx, Drendel, and Velenae decide the ask around, curious about the vague last words of the goliath and the humans who killed him. They go to the nearest shop, owned by an over-eager Halfling merchant. After come intimidation on Drendel’s part and the purchase of a high quality brown cloak by Velenae, the hafling can only attest to seeing the three humans follow the goliath into the alleyway. The party leave the shop and head down the main street.

Vharia listens the entire encounter and moves to follow them. He notices a small assortment of shiney objects in the alley below and jump down the investigate them. The few misplaced gold pieces he finds are soon being pulled from his hands by a Spiretop Drake, while Velenae notices from the mouth of the alley. She rushes to help and the pair kill the drake. Vharia climbs onto the top of a nearby building and manages, after some difficulty, to find the drake’s nest and the absurd amount of gold within. By this time, Nyx has doubled-back to find Velenae standing alone in an alley with the carcass of a spiretop drake.

Drendel loses the two females and checks into the inn above the tavern for the night.

Velenae and Nyx leave the small town and head East, in search of the information the halfling merchant was unable to give. Before getting far, however, Velenae notices Vharia following the two. She chases him through a few outlying buildings, demanding half the money Vharia (probably) found in the drake’s nest. Vharia denies her the demanded half and flees into the town. Velenae returns to Nyx and they continue down the road.

The pair run into two swarm rats. Unable to find a way around them, they challenge and kill the rats. Reaching the next town, Velenae and Nyx check locate an inn and rent a room for the night. Before retired, Nyx asks the bartender about the humans, goliath, and Farin. The bartender denies seeing any goliaths, may have seen one abnormally mean looking human pass through two days previously, and has heard plenty of folktales about Farin.

Vharia, having followed the two across the countryside, sneaks into a upstairs room in the same inn. He manages to avoid detection by the couple having sex in the room, but is recognized by Velenae in the hallway. She chases him back into the room and he heads for a window. This time, he does not escape detection from the couple but jumps out the window (landing in horse piss), before the shocked and angry man could make a move. Velenae, unnoticed, sneaks back out the door. Vharia rents a room for the night and all three players retire.

While Velenae and Nyx sleep, Vharia attempts to break into their room at the inn. After some trouble with the old and unused wooden blinds, Vharia’s struggle to break in wakes Velenae. Vharia eventually succeeds in entering the room and Velenae and Vharia fight. After a few attacks at each other, Nyx wakes up and joins the fight in the small and cramped room. Nyx runs out of the room to find help, since she and Velenae are no match for Vharia. Meric, a halfling rogue sleeping in a room across the hall, is woken by the sounds of the fight and exits his room to investigate just as Nyx comes running down the hall. They both return to the first room and attempt to talk Vharia out of fighting. Vharia asks only to join their quest and claims he knows the meaning of the pendant. The others do not believe him and refuse his request. Vharia knocks Velenae unconscious, jumps through the window, and disappears into the night.

Dussen, a shifter rogue passing the inn, witnesses Vharia’s escape and comes to investigate. In the meantime, Nyx manages to wake Velenae. Dussen joins the party and they head to town before the sun rises. They find the small town market and raid all but one stall. Dussen collects rope and similar objects, while the others obtain half-assed weapons and attempt to keep Nyx away from a stall that holds a few bottles of an unknown alcohol. Nyx manages to find and raid the alcohol stall before they begin to head out of the market. From the other end of the market, they hear voices of approaching merchants come to open their stalls for the day. The party manages to avoid detection, continue heading out of town, and Dussen departs from the party.

Went to Roar. Asked shifter bartender girl about pendant, she gets excited and yells about it to main larger egotistic shifter bartender. He punches out and takes them upstairs to a new office. Tells them they’re in over their heads. Fight. Vharia helps, Meric hops out a window. They kill bartender. Find symbol of burnt tattoo in shoulder, some gold. Vharia finds 87 gold in desk and wipes bloody swords off on Velenae’s cloak. Vharia buys hide armor. Sells trinkets from the drake in Day 1. Velenae asks merchant about pendant – once a tracking pendant, remnants but not active now.

Go to Greyacre. A merchant, Guerik, killed – traveling rich merchant killed on edge of town, higher class stuff raided out of cart. Go to investigate. He was stabbed through with sword, money on him. Nothing much left in cart. Go back to tavern and sleep. Woman Halfling has Ochre Jelly in her storage. They attack it, it splits in two, they kill it. Get paid. Go to Knoll. Ask bartender about men. She points to one in corner. He’s all sorts of drunk. He says he’s a mercenary, on road trip with buddies, kills trolls and werewolves and infestations and a dragon once. Not much work lately. Friends not here. Velenae shows him “family heirloom,” the pendant. He leads them outside. Asks to see their arms. Vharia grabs him from behind. They poke him and take his weapons. He gets out. Grab him again, poke him till dead. Symbol on his arm and gold. Ask about a river or something to the bartender. Drag the body there. Fire beetle near river munches on body, then attacks. They kill. Through both bodies in river. Go back to inn.

On way to Next to find Nyx. 2 gnomes sad and scared – thing picked of them off already. Going to find their old master in Over, who they heard was dead. They go with party to Next and find Nyx outside the inn. They stake camp between Over and Next since first gnome was attacked outside a camp the gnomes had staked. Velenae only one wouldn’t fit under gnome’s lean-to. Keeping watch. Hears thing circling camp in the tall grass. Wakes Nyx and Meric and then goes to investigate with a lighted torch from the campfire. Attacked by an owlbear. Throws torch at it and lights grass on fire, which spreads as they fight. Kill owlbear. Nyx wakes gnomes to help stamp out fire. They succeed with minor damage. Go back to bed.

In morning, gnomes thankful and tell about goliath master. Wants to find Farin or at least his journal. Heading to half-elves territory. Came home one night covered in wounds and blood, with the bloody pendant. Promised them freedom in Eona if they man a wind-powered boat to Eona. Then heard he died, decided to see if true since he has been kind to them for the last few weeks (Jubal hates him, Merizle loves him).

Head to Whitepond. On way, run across pile of Kobold bodies. A kobol attacks them, they attack back. He cries and claims two large men killed them (they ambushed and were killed). All Kobold’s friends died. They comfort him and continue on.

Greyacre for lunch, bartender woman still grateful for killing the Jelly. Give them free lunch. Just heard mayor of Over (a human) was killed a few days ago. Avoiding Roar at all costs.

Whitepond. Pub. Everyone happy. Halfling bartender woman very gossipy. Said Halfling so-and-so and halfing so-and-so are romantically involved. Have lunch, Nyx plays flute and makes money. Near dusk, rumors of a committee member injured. Later, he died. Nyx flutes/diplomacies them into happiness and info. Find healer woman. She leads them to body in the back room. Says Garrett and Michael brought him in. Leave. Velenae knocks again and ask last words. Says about family and “sorry.” Garrett and Michael next lighted house – twins, cheery, drunk. Dead halfling’s name is Luther. Sister and parents long dead of natural causes. Point them to Luther’s house next door. Orderly and clean – no blood or signs of struggle. Door was unlocked. Go back over to brothers’ house. Michael answers door. Ask about no blood or struggle. Says found him in street holding his wounds and crying for help. Took him to healer. Went back home to drink. Garrett comes out between Luther’s and their houses. Nyx tries to sleep in Luther’s house, Velenae says no. They struggle, Nyx stabs V a few times. They go to inn. V and Maric in a tall room, Nyx in a short room (got own cuz pissed at V).

Whitepond – ask healer woman (hand’s have blood on them- fixing a young boy’s cut in the back). Says Luther was stabbed a few times. Go to pub and find a committee member. He’s sad over Luther’s death and said he doesn’t have any enemies. Go to Otherplace. Otherplace’s pub called “The Bub” older mean looking male bartender, has a big axe for being a hafling. Puts axe in bar as Vharia flicks him off on the way out. Nothing of interest in Otherplace. On way to And, run into half-elf traveler (Mordin) with a wagon and horses. Nyx diplomacies them all into his wagon, Vharia sneaks on. Through And – humans, halflings, a few half-elves, a little bigger. Yorn, stop for food. Large and dirty. Tavern has a 20charisma young human male bartender. Louis, George, Arnold scuffling over Laurine – merchant’s daughter from 2nd street, something about a necklace. Mordin needed good stuff from Guerik, decided to visit his while he was staying in Fairwolf. They say they’re seeing the sights, he believes. Buy drinks and big meals. Toast to Geurik and lost friends. Nyx plays, gets more ale, shifter with 8 instruments joins. Makes 150g (also in town an elven accapella group and halflings on gourds and sheep skin instruments). After like 2 ½ hours, continue to Freywick. Get there around 9:30pm. Meric and see it’s a nicer town, can smell ocean. He invites them to stay in his larger house with stables.

Nyx mocks Vharia, he tries to attack her. Mordin locks him out. Vharia climbs up to 2nd floor and sees a painting of a half-elf battling a large tiefling through the second/middle back window. Sees the candles go out in the guest room on the front corner of the house. Tries to pry window. Mordin catches via protection spells. Asks what Vharia’s doing with them – caretaker, just have that relationship. Leaves weapons in hall, Meric lets him in. Vharia takes Nyx’s sword (sleeping under the bed). Sneaks into bed next to Meric.

Meric to Vharia: “dude, you are seriously creepalicious.”

Mordin wakes then up to “breakfast,” cook/servant with big breakfast. Tells Vharia to get breakfast at the inn. V goes to stables. Asks stable boy about livestock. Stable boy (half-elf adolescent male) tells him a woman is in that business. V goes and eats breakfast. Mordin married to Nahala. She comes to breakfast. Asks about Nyx’s and Meric’s quest. Nyx mentions Farin. Nahala gets pissed and leaves. Mordin also a little pissed. Nyx tells him their story and being “entrusted with a quest” and shows the pendant. He gets excited, takes them to his study (one chair that they share). He is Farin’s son. He came home after journeys and had a family and died. Opens a heavily magically protected hidden drawer in the wall and pulls out the journal – big, dirty, old, leather-bound. Written in common/elven, then abyssal w/some pics of the symbol, then common/elven again for last few pages. He hasn’t been able to find anyone who can read it on Eona. Puts them on the quest – gives then a half-sheet copied of abyssal from a page with the symbol. Takes them to the inn, run into Vharia on the way. Gets an obligated human to give them a ride to Moor with his donkey and cart.

Get attacked by a waith about an hour from Moor. Another pops up. They kill both. Everyone in Moor suspicious. Bartender woman says first waith attack was a little northeast of Moor, more since then, now all around town. Not as far as other towns. Moor not along main roads to other places, noone wants to leave. Nyx buys human drinks, Vharia and Nyx/Meric get rooms for the night.

Vharia volunteers, smirking, to go retrieve Velenae from Whitepond while Nyx/Meric investigate. Nyx/Meric head to Redbridge. Fight a 5L ghoul. Back to Moor. Velenae finds them. Meric heals up with food and bath. Go find magic vender behind inn a bit – Lariin (Lareen). She likes them, many people buying protection amulets, most business in a while. Giving them discounts to help the attitudes and auras in her town. Nyx buys necklace that adds +3 damage to arcane attack for 250gp. Adverts a cloak of resistance for 500gp, also frost weapon for 550gp. Meric buys 1 healing potion for 40gp, adds 15HP. Nyx asks about magic from Redbridge – she feels necromantic magic for the last two weeks from that directions. They head to Redbridge. Kill a wight and a choker outside of town, and a basilisk in the town. Town beaten up, empty of civilized life. Reach interior. Filled with wights, skeletons, a manticore, a hag, and the lich. Nyx roles 48 bluff. Says her goliath master was trying to find someone, handed her the amulet and told her to find someone. Convo = lich wants to unify and educate Eona, his followers are a little overexcited, Farin and he used to disagree and he’s not worried. Could use a bard to convince Eona of his good intentions. Nyx promises to spread the word he is good and means well. Says they need the symbol on body for communication – can hear/talk through it (Lich initiates) and like GPS. Also can sense things through it – feelings, danger, etc. Convince him people would fear it, with the attacks. Agree on amulets – another person touches, hurts the owner. Gives them two weeks before requiring a visit from them again. Will have proof of their success from his other followers, then will rediscuss the symbol thing.

On way back to Moor. Respect, look-up-to looks from a skeleton and a wight. Almost to town after dusk. Find themselves on an island, an eladrin in front of them. Says she is impressed, through they wouldn’t live through that. And that lich can’t sense or hear anything here.